Abstract: Process for reducing charge leakage in a SONOS flash memory device, including in one embodiment, forming a bottom oxide layer of an ONO structure on the semiconductor substrate to form an oxide/silicon interface having a first oxygen content adjacent the oxide/silicon interface; treating the bottom oxide layer to increase the first oxygen content to a second oxygen content adjacent the oxide/silicon interface; and depositing a nitride charge-storage layer on the bottom oxide layer. In another embodiment, process for reducing charge leakage in a SONOS flash memory device, including forming a bottom oxide layer of an ONO structure on a surface of the semiconductor substrate having an oxide/silicon interface with a super-stoichiometric oxygen content adjacent the oxide/silicon interface; and depositing a nitride charge-storage layer on the bottom oxide layer.

Abstract: A SONOS flash memory device, including a semiconductor substrate; an ONO structure formed on the semiconductor substrate, the ONO structure including a bottom oxide layer, a dielectric charge storage layer and a top oxide layer, the bottom oxide layer having a super-stoichiometric oxygen content and an oxygen vacancy content of about 1010/cm2 or less, wherein the bottom oxide layer exhibits a reduced charge leakage relative to a bottom oxide layer having a stoichiometric or sub-stoichiometric oxygen content and a greater number of oxygen vacancies. In one embodiment, the bottom oxide layer has an oxygen vacancy content of substantially zero.

Abstract: Process of fabricating multi-bit charge trapping dielectric flash memory device, including forming on a semiconductor substrate a bottom oxide layer to define a substrate/oxide interface, in which the bottom oxide layer includes a first oxygen concentration and a first nitrogen concentration; and adding a quantity of nitrogen to the bottom oxide layer, whereby the bottom oxide layer includes a first region adjacent the charge storage layer and a second region adjacent the substrate/oxide interface, the second region having a second oxygen concentration and a second nitrogen concentration, in which the second nitrogen concentration exceeds the first nitrogen concentration, provided that the second nitrogen concentration does not exceed the second oxygen concentration. In one embodiment, the first nitrogen concentration is substantially zero.

Abstract: Process for fabricating a SONOS flash memory device, including in one embodiment, forming a bottom oxide layer of an ONO structure on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the bottom oxide layer has a first oxygen vacancy content; treating the bottom oxide layer to decrease the first oxygen vacancy content to a second oxygen vacancy content; and depositing a dielectric charge-storage layer on the bottom oxide layer. In another embodiment, a process for fabricating a SONOS flash memory device includes forming a bottom oxide layer of an ONO structure on the semiconductor substrate under strongly oxidizing conditions, wherein the bottom oxide layer has a super-stoichiometric oxygen content and an oxygen vacancy content reduced relative to a bottom oxide layer formed by a conventional process; and depositing a dielectric charge-storage layer on the bottom oxide layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit includes providing a semiconductor substrate and depositing a charge-trapping dielectric layer and a gate dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate. Bitlines are implanted closely in the semiconductor substrate and annealed using a rapid thermal anneal. Wordlines and gates are formed and source/drain junctions are implanted in the semiconductor substrate. An interlayer dielectric layer is deposited and the integrated circuit completed.